COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTIONSan Diego IPAThe Sculpin IPA is a testament to our humble beginnings as Home Brew Mart. Founded in 1992, the Mart continues to be a catalyst for the San Diego brewing scene, setting the trend for handcrafted ales. Inspired by our customers, employees and brewers, the Sculpin IPA is bright with aromas of apricot, peach, mango and lemon. Its lighter body also brings out the crispness of the hops. This delicious Ballast Point Ale took a Bronze Medal at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival in the Pro Am category. The Sculpin fish has poisonous spikes on its fins that can give a strong sting. Ironically, the meat from a Sculpin is considered some of the most tasty. Something that has a sting but tastes great, sounds like a Ballast Point India Pale Ale.

Bottle sample at a tasting. Huge thanks Ambar for bringing me this bottle from the States! Slightly hazy golden with a white head. Incredible aroma of citrus and tons of fresh tropical fruits. Flavor has a bit of sweetness at first with some malt and then continues bitter and hoppy with tropical fruits, pine needles, and a bit of resin. Medium-bodied. Really good. 9/3/7/4/15=3.8

UPDATED: SEP 19, 2010 Sampled this again at GABF ’10. Ratings stand...this thing just screams pink grapefruit pith to me from the nose through the finish. If you like this, these guys do the best one I’ve had as far as balancing it all out.

Tap at Capones. Suprised I havent rated this since I have had many times. This was a good sample so worth rating this one I guess. Pours a light copper bright orange- some haze, massive white head sticky with sick lacing. Aroma is dank weed hops, columbus, pine, tropical notes, and resinous- very powerful with little malt to get in the way. Flavor is tons of hops, but doesnt get too slick or oily- light pale malt backbone, little sweetness, tons of green fresh hops, resinous, sticky, dank, low vegetal hints, and lots of citrus. Finish is sticky and resinous without getting slick- and malt profile is dry- very very easy to drink. Awesome.

At a tasting, thanks DSG, small stable head, hazy deep orange colour, flowery aroma with grapefruit, peach and pine, flowery soapy flavour with peach and a hint of alcohol, very strong bitterness but not completly out of proportion. A fair IPA.

Bottle as a sweet extra thanks to daknole. This was the second time I have had this the first was at the 09’ GABF (no notes) and then now with a note pad in hand. Pours out dark gold topped with a nice tall head. Aroma was so good tons of citrus hops and sweet caramel. Taste was more of the citrus/floral hops along with a great malty backbone and the sweet caramel to keep it all balanced out.

UPDATED: OCT 22, 2010 Sample from a bottle courtesy of JaBier at the Day Before Labor Day party. This brew is a hazy orange-gold color with a medium white head that dissipates steadily. Thin rings of lacing. Great aroma of ripe peaches, citrusy hops and pine. Medium body with a moderately bitter piney hops character along with flavors of citrus and malt. The finish is hoppy with a lingering citrusy aftertaste. Good IPA all around.

22oz bottle, although I’ve had it from growler as well. Beautiful amber hue, and great carbonation, very fresh at time of sampling. So much citrus intermingling with the resin aroma, little bit of a tropical note. Very well balanced, hop profile goes right through the palate start to finish.

UPDATED: OCT 7, 2014++++ Re Rate 5 Oct 2014 ++++
Rerating this to increase the score. Over the past years I have had this beer in can, bottle and on draft again and it is consistently amazing. My favorite IPA at the moment. (9,5,9,5,18 - 4.6)

++++ Original Rating 4 Jun 2013 ++++
12 oz draft at City Beer in San Francisco. Pour is a hazed orange golden with a well formed one inch off white head. The head is lasting, and leaves behind great lacing. Pretty beer. Aroma is all hops, dank pine citrus and full of resin. Fresh, also some balance provided by biscuit malt. The taste is initially the big, fresh hops, lingering with a pleasant dry bitterness. The biscuit malt of the nose gives it a nice body and balances. Palate is medium to full bodied, with lowish carbonation and the clean dry finish. A really nice IPA, happy to have it tried it on draft. (8,5,9,5,17 - 4.4)

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